‘Eaters rally for tie
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IRVINE — A seemingly endless stream of melodrama was finally trumped by drama between the whistles Wednesday night, as host UC Irvine rallied for an uplifting 1-1 tie against UC Davis in the Big West Conference men’s soccer opener between nationally ranked programs.
A series of what players on both teams made appear to be near-death experiences — in a game that featured 57 fouls, two red cards and six yellow cards — helped create two 10-minute, sudden-death overtime periods, before the Anteaters were eventually able to keep their unbeaten status alive.
UCI (7-0-3), ranked No. 18 in the National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America poll, received an unassisted, though slightly aided, goal by Spencer Thompson in the 85th minute to salvage a point in a match in which it played one man down for about 72 minutes.
No. 17-ranked UC Davis (8-1-1) scored in the 18th minute, just more than 15 minutes before a controversial red card left the Anteaters a player short.
Senior defender David Sias was the focal point of what UCI Coach George Kuntz said was a rash and mistaken decision. Apparently merely standing his ground as an Aggies forward whose eyes were on a ball just above and behind his head as he ran toward the UCI goal, Sias got the best of a collision that left Big West goal leader Quincy Amarikwa in a crumpled, motionless heap.
Amarikwa, who on a handful of occasions prompted the attention from trainers while lying prone on the turf after seemingly mild physical encounters, stayed down several moments, drawing the ire of UCI supporters who believed the red card, and his histrionics, were excessive.
Kuntz, who later earned a yellow card of his own while arguing for a call with the referee, said the call that will, by rule, sideline Sias for Saturday’s crucial home matchup with No. 22-ranked UC Santa Barbara, went afoul.
“I’ve never been so furious,” Kuntz said. “For somebody to change the scope of the conference [standings] in one call is frustrating. The referee got sucker-punched [by Amarikwa’s temporary corpse imitation]. He’s a good referee, but he totally got baited on that one.”
Thompson, who blasted a low free kick about 30 yards out that ricocheted off a defender and past the goalie to erase a lead Davis held for about 67 minutes, said the call might have actually motivated UCI.
“The referee blew it,” Thompson, a sophomore forward whose fifth goal tied him with senior Matt Murphy for the team lead and allowed him to overtake Murphy for the team points lead (14-13). “We didn’t feel like we were getting the calls we should. But, I think that [Sias red card] almost pushed us a little, After that, we had something to prove.”
Kuntz said he was proud of the way his players maintained their composure.
“The Big West is one of the most physical conferences in the country,” Kuntz said. “It was a frustrating night, but I’m, really proud of these guys, because they didn’t lose it. They didn’t get dirty. They kept their heads. And they kept playing soccer a man down. It’s very difficult to do that.”
UCI had a 14-10 edge in shots and freshman goalie Andrew Fontein had four saves. .
Kuntz also singled out strong defense played by freshman Jimmy Nolan, senior Kyle Schmid and senior Shane Westbrook.
BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].
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